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Facebook video killing: shooting footage sparks US hunt for suspect Facebook video killing: shooting footage sparks US hunt for suspect
(about 7 hours later)
Police in the US are searching for a suspect who they said posted footage on Facebook of himself killing a man. In a separate video he claimed to have killed more than a dozen others. Authorities in several states were on the lookout on Monday for a man police say shot a Cleveland retiree collecting aluminum cans and then posted video of the apparently random killing on Facebook.
The Cleveland division of police said on Sunday it was looking for Steve Stephens in connection with the shooting of 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr in the city’s Glenville neighbourhood. Police said Stephens was armed and dangerous. “He could be nearby. He could be far away or anywhere in between,” FBI agent Stephen Anthony said on day two of the manhunt for Steve Stephens, a 37-year-old job counselor for teens and young adults.
“Suspect did broadcast the killing on Facebook Live and has claimed to have committed multiple other homicides which are yet to be verified,” the police said in a statement, referring to Facebook’s live-streaming video service. Police said Stephens killed Robert Godwin Sr, a 74-year-old former foundry worker, on Sunday.
Facebook later clarified that Stephens had posted a video, rather than broadcast live, although he had appeared on Facebook Live at one point in the day. Investigators said Godwin was the only victim so far linked to Stephens, despite the suspect’s claim in a separate video on Facebook that he had killed more than a dozen people.
The video of the attack was on Facebook for about three hours before being removed. Officers searched dozens of places around the city and spoke with the suspect by cellphone, police said.
Officers believe Stephens, who worked for a behavioural health agency, might be driving a white or cream-coloured sports utility vehicle. Police chief Calvin Williams warned residents to be careful as they go about their day.
Authorities also warned people in Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be alert for Stephens, who was wanted on a charge of aggravated murder.
Godwin apparently was shot while out picking up cans in a plastic shopping bag, his daughter said.
“Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did,” said 52-year-old Debbie Godwin. “That’s all he was doing. He wasn’t harming anyone.”
She said her father, who had 10 children, was a gentle man with nothing mean about him.
“We called him the junk man,” she said. “He’d pick up things off the street and fix them. He picked up bikes and he fixed them.”
The motive for the shooting was not clear from the shaky video, in which Stephens told Godwin a woman’s name and said: “She’s the reason that this is about to happen to you.” Godwin did not seem to recognize the woman’s name.The suspect then pointed a gun at Godwin, who shielded his face with the plastic bag.
Facebook said the video was posted after the killing but was not broadcast on Facebook Live as police initially indicated. The suspect did go live on the social media site at another point on Sunday.
The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down. Stephens’ Facebook page also was eventually removed.
“This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook,” a spokesperson for the company said. “We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.”
In the separate video, Stephens said: “I killed 13, so I’m working on 14 as we speak.”Police said they had not verified any other shootings or deaths.
Stephens worked at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland. He helped young people develop job skills and find employment, said Beech Brook spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer.
An extensive background check before he was hired turned up nothing worrisome, she said.
“We just hope Mr Stephens is apprehended as quickly as possible so that no one else is injured,” she said.
In one of the videos, Stephens could be seen holding up his employee identification and saying: “I’m killing with my Beech Brook badge on, too.”
In January, four people in Chicago were accused of attacking an 18-year-old disabled man and broadcasting the attack on Facebook Live while shouting “fuck Donald Trump” and “fuck white people”.In January, four people in Chicago were accused of attacking an 18-year-old disabled man and broadcasting the attack on Facebook Live while shouting “fuck Donald Trump” and “fuck white people”.
A month later, the accused pleaded not guilty to assaulting the victim.A month later, the accused pleaded not guilty to assaulting the victim.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report